Systems and method for eliminating airborne contaminants

This application is a U.S. national stage entry, under 35 U.S.C. § 371, of International Application No. PCT/US2022/049256, filed Nov. 8, 2022, which takes priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/276,678 filed Nov. 8, 2021, the contents of each of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

The present invention relates to air ventilation and treatment systems.

In scenarios where undesirable airborne particles exist, there is a risk that people might breathe those particles. Various restrictions might be implemented and certain risks may be known.

Modern ventilation and purification devices typically operate air streams that quickly mix with surrounding flow and ambient air. Filtering alone cannot control the origin of the air around a person, as there can be no certainty that the air being breathed originated at the filter.

There is a need for ways to enable protection for a subject from airborne contaminants. This may be by controlling the localized flow of air and treatment thereof. This is particularly acute in situations where subjects are in a specific location for a long period of time, such as when subjects are in bed.

The need is similarly particularly acute for subjects having particular sensitivities or risks associated with exposure to contaminants and low quality air. It would for example be beneficial for people with allergies, asthma, pollen sensitivity, sensitivity to bad air quality, forest fire smoke and the like to be provided with purified air that remains independent of ambient air. Such an approach also will aid in prevention of deceases such as airborne virus or bacteria loads.

When people sleep or rest, the positioning of the breathing zone is contained. This would enable a method to control the air locally.

There is therefore a need for an apparatus that can control the air quality of a breathing zone around a user while they sleep.

This disclosure relates to systems compromising one or more flow control elements encompassing at least part of a space having an air treatment system, in which a zone of controlled and treated air is created around subjects. Several embodiments and elements are depicted in different levels of detail.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for removing airborne contaminants from a defined space above a bed is provided. The apparatus includes a headboard for a bed having an air flow outlet adjacent to the defined space and an air flow inlet incorporated into the bed or the headboard outside of the defined space.

The apparatus then provides a conduit for transporting air from the air flow inlet to the air flow outlet, an air treatment module within or adjacent the conduit for extracting air-borne contaminants from air transported from the air flow inlet to the air flow outlet, and an air flow generator within or adjacent the conduit for generating air flow between the air flow inlet and the air flow outlet.

The air flow outlet then comprises a plenum within the headboard, and the plenum deposits air into the defined space through an outlet area having a porous surface, the outlet area being otherwise substantially unobstructed.

In some such embodiments, the outlet area defines an area for a plug flow, such that the area when extruded contains a breathing zone within the defined space, and wherein the plug flow extends perpendicular to a front surface of the headboard into the breathing zone.

In some such embodiments, the breathing zone is adjacent a sleeping surface of the bed, and a lower edge of the outlet area is aligned with an edge of the sleeping surface.

In some such embodiments, the headboard has an upper edge and the outlet area has an upper edge, and the upper edge of the outlet area is spaced apart from the upper edge of the headboard.

In some such embodiments, the outlet area is adjustable by moving the upper edge of the outlet area closer or farther from the headboard. In some such embodiments, the position of the upper edge is selected based on a height of a user's head while on the bed.

In some embodiments, the defined space is adjacent a sleeping surface of the bed. A lower edge of the outlet area may then be adjustable such that it can be aligned with a top of a mattress, pillow, or bedspread on the sleeping surface of the bed.

In some embodiments, the defined space is adjacent a sleeping surface of the bed, and an upper edge of the outlet area is curved, such that it has a peak adjacent an expected head location of a user.

In some embodiments, the headboard extends at an angle relative to a vertical direction. Accordingly, when the plug flow extends perpendicular to the front surface of the headboard, the plug flow extends at an angle relative to the horizontal direction.

In some such embodiments, the angle relative to the vertical direction is small enough to prevent separation between the plug flow and a sleeping surface of the bed.

In some such embodiments, an upper edge of the outlet area is located such that an expanding shear layer formed above the upper edge of the plug flow remains above a user's head during use by a threshold amount. In some such embodiments, the upper edge of the outlet area is at a height insufficient to provide the threshold amount of clearance, but wherein the defined space extends upwards after leaving the outlet area due to the angle of the headboard.

In some embodiments, the plenum comprises rigid supports for supporting a housing of the headboard. The rigid supports then frame the outlet area, such that the substantially unobstructed area is not obstructed with supports.

In some embodiments, the porous surface comprises at least a portion of the air treatment module.

In some embodiments, the plenum comprises a flow aligned support structure supporting the plenum at the outlet area. In some such embodiments, the plenum comprises additional supports that are not flow aligned that frame the unobstructed area.

In some such embodiments, the outlet area comprises two distinct outlet segments. Additional supports that are not flow aligned then divide the two distinct outlet segments. In some such embodiments, the two distinct outlet segments are independently controllable.

In some embodiments, the flow aligned support structure has sufficient depth to at least partially define a direction of the flow. In some such embodiments, the outlet area defines an area for a plug flow such that the area when extruded corresponds to the defined space, and wherein the plug flow extends in a direction defined by the flow aligned support structure. In some such embodiments, the direction defined by the flow aligned support structure is distinct from a direction perpendicular to a front surface of the headboard.

In some embodiments, the plenum includes a support structure, and the porous surface is fixed to the support structure. The support structure then comprises support elements that are sufficiently narrow or flow aligned so as to not obstruct air flow.

In some such embodiments, the porous surface is a padded fabric surface, and the fabric surface is stitched to the support structure at visible seams. In some such embodiments, the support elements are tension elements, and the visible seams are positioned symmetrically along the headboard for visual effect.

In some embodiments, support components of the support structure are fully contained within the outlet area and do not extend to a top or side edge of the outlet area.

In some embodiments, the air treatment module includes an oxygenation module for increasing an oxygen level in at least a portion of the air flow deposited into the defined space.

In some such embodiments, a plurality of air treatment modules are provided, and a first of the plurality of air treatment modules increases an oxygen level in the at least a portion of the air flow deposited into the defined space, and a second of the plurality of air treatment modules does not increase an oxygen level in a second portion of the air flow deposited into the defined space.

In some embodiments, the air flow generator are incorporated into a base of the headboard below a height of a top surface of the bed.

In some such embodiments, a space between a front surface of the plenum and the air flow generator is obstructed by an obstruction, such that air from the air flow generator passes around the obstruction prior to entering the plenum.

In some such embodiments, the obstruction obstructs any line of sight from the plenum to the air flow generator.

In some embodiments, the obstruction comprises a sequence of baffles for obstructing airflow.

In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a secondary plenum positioned between the air flow generator and the obstruction, such that air flow from the air flow generator is deposited into the secondary plenum and then proceed from the secondary plenum to the plenum.

In some such embodiments the secondary plenum comprises an air distribution module having vanes, and the air distribution module determines a distribution of air deposited into the plenum from the secondary plenum.

In some embodiments having a secondary plenum and an obstruction, the obstruction is between the secondary plenum and the plenum. In some such embodiments, the obstruction comprises a movable panel, and a configuration of the movable panel within the headboard defines a route taken by air flow from the air flow generator. In some such embodiments, the configuration of the movable panel determines a level of pressure within the plenum and a level of noise detectable outside the headboard.

In some embodiments having a panel type obstruction, movement of the movable panel is passive and is responsive to a setting of the air flow generator.

In other embodiments, movement of the movable panel is actively controlled by a controller in order to balance pressure levels within the plenum against noise levels detectable outside the headboard.

In some such embodiments, the apparatus includes at least one noise sensor, and the movable panel is adjusted by the controller in order to maintain the level of noise below a threshold.

In some such embodiments, the controller further controls the air flow generator, and upon adjusting the movable panel to reduce noise levels, the controller increases an output of the air flow generator to maintain air flow at a desired level.

In some embodiments, the air flow generator pressurizes the secondary plenum which in turn controls pressure levels in the plenum.

In some such embodiments, the air flow generator is a centrifugal fan, and a centrifugal wheel of the centrifugal fan is within the secondary plenum.

In some embodiments, the air flow generator is a centrifugal fan with oversized blades turning at a slow rate of rotation.

In some embodiments, the air flow generator is a centrifugal fan with an axial intake. The air flow from the air flow inlet is then directed to the axial intake in a conduit having a direction substantially perpendicular to an axis of the centrifugal fan. The axial intake is spaced apart from a back wall by a first distance. In some such embodiments, the air flow generator further includes a guide element for redirecting air flow in the conduit so that portions of the air flow approach the axial intake from directions other than the direction of the conduit.

In some such embodiments, the guide element is a porous or perforated cylindrical shroud that extends across the first distance, such that air flow that enters the axial intake first passes through the cylindrical shroud.

In some embodiments, the guide element comprises a plurality of vanes for directing air flow substantially evenly about the axial intake.

In some embodiments, the air treatment module includes a filtration unit adjacent the porous surface, where the air treatment module does not obstruct airflow.

Also provided is a fan assembly. Such an assembly includes a centrifugal outlet, an axial intake, and an intake conduit extending substantially perpendicular to the axial intake. The assembly further includes a guide element for redirecting air flow adjacent the axial intake. The axial intake is spaced apart from a back wall of the intake conduit by a first distance, and the guide element redirects air flow such that portions of the air flow approach the axial intake from directions other than a direction of the intake conduit.